Nanette Kay Laughrey

Nanette Kay Laughrey
Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri and United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri
Incumbent
Assumed office August 27, 2011
Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
In office August 1, 1996 – August 27, 2011
Nominated by	Bill Clinton
Preceded by	Joseph E. Stevens, Jr.
Succeeded by	Brian C. Wimes
Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri
In office August 1, 1996 – August 27, 2011
Nominated by	Bill Clinton
Preceded by	Joseph E. Stevens, Jr.
Succeeded by	Brian C. Wimes
Personal details
Born	1946 (age 69–70) Cheyenne, Wyoming, U.S.
Alma mater	University of California, Los Angeles University of Missouri School of Law

Nanette Kay Laughrey (born 1946) is a Senior United States district judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri and United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri.

Early life and education

Laughrey was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming. She received a B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1967, and a J.D. from the University of Missouri (Columbia) Law School in 1975

Legal career

Following law school graduation, Laughrey was an Assistant state attorney general of Missouri until 1979, when she served as a municipal judge for Columbia, Missouri until 1983. She became an associate professor of University of Missouri (Columbia) Law School in 1983, and was made a full professor there in 1987. At the same time, she was deputy state attorney general of Missouri from 1992 to 1993.

Federal judicial career

On October 20, 1995, President Bill Clinton nominated Laughrey to the United States District Courts for both the Western and Eastern District of Missouri, to a seat on each court vacated by Joseph E. Stevens, Jr.. She was confirmed by the United States Senate on July 24, 1996, and received her commission on August 1, 1996. She assumed senior status on August 28, 2011.

Laughrey is best known as the presiding judge in the Miracle Cars case. She has a reputation as a stern judge who exercises complete control over her courtroom.^[1]

In November of 2013, in the case of serial killer Joseph Franklin, Laughrey granted a stay of execution because "a stay is necessary to ensure that the defendants' last act against Franklin is not permanent, irremediable cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment".

Sources

• Nanette Kay Laughrey at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.